The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-01
Railways and Waterways.

Representative Butterworth, one of the
ablest of the Republican members of Con-
gress, says that the interstate commerce
law has come to stay" but that 5he long
and short haul feature of it will be consid-
e.ably modified. Ii Senator Reagan, who
did more than any other man to secure the
enactment of the law, has his way. the law
will be enforced as it stands He has writ
ten a letter condemning the Commission
ers for suspending the long and short haul
clause, and from the tone of it he will have
something more to say on the same subject
as soon as Congress meets. He thinks that
the Commissioners are being fooled by the
railroads into adopting a course that will
virtually nulify the law.
1t is natural of course that Senator
Reagan should criticise unfavorably the
suspension of that provision of the law
which he regards as the most important of
all its provisions, and which, in his opinion.
is calculated to confer the greatest benefits
upon the people. He spent some of the best
years of his life in advocating it, and it
hurts him to see it suspended before it has
been given a trial If he knew az much as
the Commissioners now know about the
difficulties in the way of enforcing it he
would not be 50 hasty in condemning them.
1t is probable that the Commissioners are
as anxious as he is TO give all parts of the
law fair trial, but they want to know
what the effect will be of that part to which
there is such general opposition before en-
forcing it. They are clothed with certain
amount of discretion, and it is wise in them
to exercise it whenever there are good rea-
sons for doing so.
1t is quite certain that the enforcement of
the long and short haul section would not
benefit shippers who have choice between
water and rail transportation. Wherever
there is competition between the two kinds
of transportation the rates are remarkably
low The reason is that the water rates
force down the rail rates. 1t is true that
transportation on the rivers and lakes has
greatly decreased within the last few years.
That is because the railroads have reduced
their rates so much that transportation on
the waterways has not been profitable.
As soon as the interstate commerce law
passed preparations began to be made
to increase the transportation facilities
of the waterways, because it was seen
that this sort of transportation prom
ised big profits The law prevents competi-
ton between the two kinds of transporta-
ton. The law controls the rates on the rail
ways, but not on the waterways. The
shipper, therefore, will not get the benefit of
competition. The waterway rate will only
be enough lower than the railroad rate to
gain his business.
This being the result of the working of the
law it would seem as if Congress had gone
on for years spending millions of dollars in
improving the waterways in order to aid
domestic commerce and lessen the cost of
water transportation, and shen had sud
denly determined, by passing the interstate
commerce law, to deny to:the people the
benefits which arise from competition be-
tween the railways and waterways. 1t
would seem to be a wiser course to make
water transportation cheaper by improving
the waterways and to permit the cheap
water rates to force down rail rates by COM
petition.